Curtain holder for curtain stretchers



May 22, 1928. v

E. R. HOOPER CURTAIN HOLDER FOR CURTAIN STRETGHERS Filed Dec. 5, 1925 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED TATEs 1,671,075 PATENT OFFiCE.

EARL R. HOOPER, OF DOUGLAS, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOR OF .ONE flALF TO CHARLES NICHOLS, OF DOUGLAS, ARIZONA.

cURTA NnoLDE on Application filed December This invention relates to curtain stretch-,

ers, and particularly to a holding member adapted to engage the curtain'and hold'it upon the stretcher.

The general object of this invention is to provide a curtain holder of sheet metal which will engage the curtain securely and hold the curtain against the strain to which it is subjected. l v

A further object is to provide a sheet metal curtain holder which has great durability, which will permit the curtain to be readily engaged with it, and which will readily release the curtains without having to re-adjust the stretcher itself. I

A'still further object is to provide a cheap, efficient and simply operated curtain holder which may be applied to difi'erent'forms of curtain stretchers.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a curtain stretcher constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of one of the curtain holders; v

Figure 4 is a like view of one of the extensions or arms of the curtain holder showing the manner inwhich the prongs are formed;

Figure 5 is an edge view of the structure shown in Figure '4: showing the manner in which the prongs are bent.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that I have shown arecta-ngular frame composed of the longitudinal members 10 and the end members 11 and 12. The end. members 11 and 12 are uprights and are illustrated as being supported by bases 13. This frame may be constructed in any suitable manner. a

Adjustable vertically between the memhere 11 and 12 and operating between the members 10 is a longitudinal beam ormember 14, and extending at right angles to the beam Hand to the beams'lO and operating on guides in the beams 10 is .a-verti'cal memher 15. The curtain to be stretched is en gaged between the uppermost beam 10 and the beam 14 :and between the beam 1 1 and the beam 15. One of the members 10, the member-11, .and the members 14 and 15, therefore, constitute an expansible frame CURTAIN s'ranronnns.

s, 1925; Serial No. 73,033.

the top and bottom of the members 10 respectively, The ends of member 15 are provided with a pair of clamping plates 19 through which passes a bolt 20 having a wing nut'Ql. A like construction is used at opposite ends of this member 15. By this mean'sthe member 15 may be clamped anywhere" along the guides 18. The same construction. is used with relation to the member 14, only in this case the clamping plates 22 are engaged on each side of the vertical scale bars 17. These 'scalebars extend downward from the middle of the vuppermost beamlOof the frame to the median plane of the lowermost beam '10. It willbe seen that the member 14.- is inward of the member 15.

So far Ihave described a more or less ordinary construction of curtain stretcher, and it is to be understood that I do not wish to belimited to any particular form of curtain stretcher, that the curtain stretcher proper maybe constructed in var-ious ways, and that it is sufficient if it consists of longitudinally and transversely expansiblemen'ibers held in any adjusted position by any suitable means; and that Fig ures 1 and 2 are purely illustrative of one form of curtain stretcher to which my ho ding device may be applied.

The ordinary curtain stretcher isprovided in many cases with hooks and in same cases with clamps -with which the curtain is adapted to be engaged. These hooks are relatively large, they are liable to puncture the curtain or other material stretched on the frame, and after the curtain isstretc-hed it is difiicult to remove it from the hooks without straining the "curtain. -Where clamps are used, each clamp has to be separately released and no uniform engagement ios margin.

My invention lies in the use in connection 1 with the curtain stretching bars 10, 11, 145

and 15 or bars of equivalent character, ofa curtain-engaging strip, a portion of which is shown in Figure 3 and which strip is designated 2; in the embodiment of my invention illustrated, this strip is cut out, punched or otherwise formed so to provide, a base portion 2a with obliquely inclined tongues 25, that is these tongues are obliquely inclined to the base portion. Each of these tongues is, therefore, formed with side-margins which are obliquely inclined to the length of the base portion 24; and each tongue, as illustrated, is slitted inward, as,

shown exaggeratedly in Figure l at 26 "at short intervalsalong the entire length of thisinclined edge as to provide a plurality of very small, line and sharp-pointed spurs these spurs extending nearly parallel to the edge of the tongue 25, as shown most clearly in Figure 3, and these spurs being preferably outwardly turned somewhat from H spurs are turned outward so that their points project. beyond the surface of the portion 25 to an extent hardly greater than 11512 As shown in Figure 1, the tongues 25 of the uppermost holding strip 23 which is attached to the bar 10 extend upward and obheld, the curtain is readily engaged with liquely. Thetongues of the strip 25 which is attached to the upright 11 extend downwardly and obliquely. The tongues of the strip 25 which is mounted upon the slidable upright 15 extend upwardly and laterally awayfrom the beam 11, while the tongues on the strip 25 which is attached to the beam 14 extend downwardlyand laterally or obliquely. The prongson these tongues, therefore, are adapted to engage with the margins of a curtain Or other piece of textile fabric and hold this curtain throughout the length of its entire margin at very short intervals so that the curtain is uniformly these spurs which catch almost automatically in the material of the curtain and readily disengaged therefrom, while at the same time the spurs hold the curtain firmly because there are so many of the spurs. One spur might bend under the strain but with a plurality of spurs along one margin of each tongue 25, it is obvious that the curtain will be held very securely and firmly at :1

very great number of points by this very great number of prongs. Wlnle l have illustrated a particular form of curtain holder injwhich the base strip 24 is provided with tongues 25, I do not wish to be limited to this as it is obvious that the i base strip might be otherwise formed and yet be providedwith these prongs which would engage the meshes of the curtain or othertextile fabric and hold it firmly during the stretching operation; it will be understood that in'the uppermost strip, the prongs will extend upwardly and obliquely. in the lowermost strip, the prongs will extend downward. in the strip attached to the member-ll, the prongs will extend outward or away from the member 15 and where the strip is attached to the member 15 the prongs will extend upward andaway from the member 11.

I am aware that prior to myinvention curtain stretchers had been made with two adjustable and two fixed sides and having curtain stretching holders thereon. 'I, therefore, do not claim the expansible curtain stretcher by itself nor do I wish to be limited to the particular form of curtain stretcher shown.

1. As an article of manufacture, a curtain holder for curtain stretchers comprisinga strip of metal having its edge formed with a plurality of prongs extending diagonally to the edge of the strip and the prongs extending outward from the plane of the strip, the

prongs being defined by single straight cuts.

extending nearly parallel to the edge of the strip without removal of metal between the cuts of same. Y a I y y 2. As an article of manufacture, a curtain holder for curtain stretchers consisting of a stripofmetal obliquely notched to provide a series of obliquely disposed tongues whose like edges lie parallel to each other, said oblique edges being provided with curtain attaching means whereby the curtain is securely but lightly held at a great number of places for the purpose of holding the curtains to stretch and dry in the process of laundering. y I 3. As an article of manufacture, a sheet metal curtain holder adapted to be used on curtain stretchers, the holder being obliquely notched to thereby provide a series strip. i r

EARL R. HOOPER. 

